CITY midfielder Simon Lappin says there could still be a positive twist of fate which sees the Canaries maintain their Championship status.

Needing a win at The Valley and also hoping for a victory for Plymouth, the 26-year-old told canaries.co.uk football was an unpredictable business.

"Things change very quickly in football, and Gary Doherty said that after the Reading game, that strange things can happen. There could be another twist come Sunday afternoon and hopefully we will still be in the Championship - we just need to approach it in the right manner and get the result.

"I don't think I've been involved in a weekend quite as big as this, everybody knows the importance of it. But we have just got to concentrate on approaching the game in the right way and do all we can to get the result we can there, and pray to God results elsewhere go our way as well.  As long as we do all we can, we'll give ourselves the best chance."

Lappin added the Canaries were united in their aim: "All the players believe we can get out of this, and if we didn't there would be no point in turning up on Sunday. I definitely believe we can go there and get a result - Plymouth are obviously professional footballers and they want to get out there and do their job, and they won't make it easy for Barnsley. 

On the significance of City's future league status, he said: "It affects everything at the Club, right from the top down to the bottom. We know how important this game is.

"I've told the manager all along I want to be here, I definitely feel like I have unfinished business at Norwich and I want to be part of it. But for now, we're just concentrating on Sunday and I think all the boys are the same, we all want to play a part in a game which keeps us in the Championship."